What is LawFest? Organised by Paul Gilbert of LBC Wise Counsel, it is the antidote to legal conferences. It is for lawyers of every different kind, but is not about law. Drawing on experts from many different fields, it is a relaxed and informal event that opens up opportunities far removed from the daily work routine.

What’s going to happen? I don’t know, but I went to the inaugural event in 2014 and signed up as soon as I heard that there was an event for 2016.

LawFest is held in Cheltenham on 19 & 20 August. Tickets are available for either or both days, and there is further information and booking details here.

Perhaps the best guide for what to expect is Brian Inkster’s full write-up of the 2014 event here, and there are some more details for 2016 here.

One of the biggest questions for employment lawyers and HR managers over the next few years is going to be the shape of employment law after Brexit. With so much of our employment legislation derived from the EU, what will survive?

No-one knows, but we are starting to get some indications from the key players on their overall approach to employment rights.

If you’re from an ordinary working class family, life is much harder than many people in Westminster realise. You have a job, but you don’t always have job security … We will do everything we can to give you more control over your lives.Read the rest of this entry »

ACAS has just published a lengthy research paper on the effect of its conciliation processes in employment tribunal claims.

There is an enormous amount of material in the report for those interested in employment tribunal statistics. Particularly interesting in the light of the current debate around tribunal fees are the reasons given (at p66 – 69) for claimants withdrawing their cases – 27% said they thought they would not win or that it would be a waste of time, 20% said that the tribunal fees (presumably hearing fees) were off-putting and 17% said they found the process too stressful.

The sample is small, but this represents some of the best information we have about reasons for the withdrawal of claims.

The announcement says that “there have been suggestions that they [non-compete clauses] can hinder start-ups from hiring the best and brightest talent, so the government is asking for views from individuals and employers on whether this type of practice is acting as a barrier to innovation and employment.”

At present the announcement links to the government’s wider “call for ideas” as part of the “National Innovation Plan”, although this does not specifically relate to non-compete clauses. There is a later section in the announcement suggesting that a separate call for evidence on non-compete clauses will be launched shortly.